I did not know Zlata well. I saw her for important holidays in the women's section during prayer. I couldn't help but watch her. She was so full of life. She welcomed newcomers and regulars alike - with a warm smile that said each of us was family. I could tell she was the matriarch of hers. Only as time went on did I realize what a vital a force she was to them. Life was joyous because of her. She was their pillar of strength and a moral compass. She encouraged her husband, her children and everyone she touched with her selflessness and her love.
This love remains with those left behind, as devastated as we are at the moment. Her spirit reaches even further, to everyone she touched - even briefly, with a word here, a word there, or no words at all, with just a smile. That was enough. Zlata's legacy is her extended family, even those she adopted during a prayer service or over a cup of coffee. Following her example, her teachings and her good deeds, her family and acquaintances will continue her work - because it is the right thing to do, because she would have wanted it that way.
Our prayers are with the rabbi and his family in this heart-wrenching time.
Raphael, Alex, Jason, Donna and Remy Sayada
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